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Friday, July 10, 2009

Crazy Sign over Bankhead Highway

Main Street Showing Crazy Sign

Mineral Wells, TexasThe most famous street marker in the south.Showing the 80 foot neon sign of the world-famous Crazy Crystals.Baker Hotel in background.

This most unique sign has been one of my most enduring childhood memories. I was born in 1943 and it was there at that time, I'm sure, because there are other postcards or photographs that have been dated 1940. I got married in 1964, moved to Tennessee with my husband of a year, visited my hometown several times during the 25 years I lived away from Texas, and sometime during that time the sign was removed. I was so sick when I discovered the sign gone. I suppose progress has a way of doing that to you!

There are many websites that tell the story of the healing mineral waters of my hometown of Mineral Wells and the many wells and spas that drew thousands of visitors seeking the rejuvenating powers of these waters. You will find the story of their discovery and the subsequent growth of the town very interesting. I have listed some of them below.

This particular postcard was given to me along with several others by a high school classmate after our 40th class reunion in 2002. I will share them with you as I find time. I hope you click on the front of the postcard so you can see the fine detail of the sign. It is a linen card and has never been mailed.

8 comments:

I am always afraid when I go home to Texas that more landmarks will have disappeared. Here in my part of Virginia we have already lost the big RCA dog (county government was too cheap to buy the dog off the guy who decided to sell it after having it in his yard for so many years, but they could find $40,000 for a big marble table for their meetings).

Greta, I know exactly how you feel. Marble tables, indeed! There are more and more of our well-known landmarks disappearing, but to balance that, I know the interest and instinct to preserve our past must have grown in the past few decades. Look how our GeneaBloggers group is growing! ;)

I really enjoyed your post, Judith - and the reminder of how sad it is to see landmark vintage signs disappear.I've read a lot of stories like yours and Greta's as I did research for the SIGNS issue.What I find ironic is that many cities hire marketing consultants to try and "brand" their cities - yet they rid themselves of what makes their place unique.Thanks for participating in the Festival of Postcards. the latest issue is here:http://acanadianfamily.com/2009/07/29/a-festival-of-postcards-3rd-ed-signs/Evelyn in Montreal

Homsley Reunion, Seymour, Texas

Shiloh Baptist Church in 1736 ~ Camden County, North Carolina

Original Wooden Building ~ Click on Picture to go to Camden County's Homepage.

HOMESLEY CONNECTIONS

Several of my Richards family cousins have a copy of Carrie Homesley Cunningham's book, "Historical Record of the Holmesley Family." My dad gave me his copy before he died. In Len and Greg's post, "Homsley Stories", a reader tells them how Mrs. Cunningham came to his family farm when he was a boy in Arkansas and talked to his father about genealogy and then came back, delivering her printed book by car to different families that had ordered several copies!

You'll find other gems in this wonderful article on Glenn Gabbard's ancestry which is Homesley ~ the same as mine, and Len's and Greg's.﻿